Morning journal and courier., 1887-12-22
uow no TREAr CR1mINALs.

of Mrs Frye's death prison reform associa-
 tion was established in England, known ae
 the London Prison Reform association, and
 during it's existence several laws and prison
 acts were passed to overcome the old way of
 treating prisoners, which was simply to lock
 them up and keep them from freezing and starving to death, without any attention being
 paid to their reformation whatever. In 1776 in this country the Philadelphia Prison asso-
 citation was formed, and this was probably
 the first to be formed in the world. This
 was followed in 1845 by the founding of the
 Boston Prison association. This society pub. lished many interesting papers on the inside life of the prisoner through Lewis Dwight
 Yale 1913, to whom it's life can be traced
 In this they held:
 First-That the treatment of prisoners was matter in which every person should be interested.
 Second-That reformation was not impos- sible
 Third-That criminal jurisprudence should
 be established in each State.
 This association dissolved in 1844 and some years later the New York Prison asso citation was founded, and in 1870 the National Prison association, which still survives and is pros- pering. One of the great faults in former prisons was that so few were the cells that they were occupied by several prisoners at a time; and tho veteran criminal was locked up with the novice to teach him crime, and the first claim of this association was that no cell should be occupied by more than one man. In Philadelphia all the prisoners of both sexes congregated together, and one of the prisoners kept bar in one corner of the jail, and when minister first preached a sermon there guard stood by loaded can non with lighted fuse in his hand to pres serve order. Prior to 1927 in Connecticut the first prison was in an old unoecupied mine at Simsbury. It was called Newgate, and what remains of it is still visited by tho curious Here all prisoners were thrown together and brutally treated being chained together at night by their feet, and in 1897 when the State prison at Wethers6eld was built it was like removing the prisoners from dungeon darkness into light. In this year Sing Sing prison was also built, but no idea of reforma- tion had entered into the prisons, the only thing needed being that the prisons be strong enough to keep the prisoners in, as revolts among them were offrequent occurrence, ow- ing to their being thrown together so much. In these cases the prison officials were given power to do about as they saw fit to restrain the prisoners, and so in many cases they were treated most inhumanIy The first idea of regulation by separate cells was at Philadelphia, where every prisoner was placed in his cell, never seen by anybody, where he never corresponded with anybody and he went out of the prison perfect stranger with no brand of the criminal upon him. This is what the prison officials thought they accomplished, but when I visited the prison and talked with a prisoner who had been there nine years, found he knew every prisoner in his corridor and what they were confined for, and that he carried on corre- spondence with them as we'll as with outsid- CTS. Some people think this method of treat ment tends to insanity through isolation and much soliloquizing, but I found that the reflections of the prisoners were chiefly how not to be caught again. This cell treatment was adopted in 1848 in AlIeghany and later in Rhode Island and New York, and was abolished first in Auburn and last in 1868 at and now exists only in Philadel- phia.
 The congrsgate and silent system was tho next system of prison regulation put in vogue, and was first tried at Auburn, from whence it got it's name of the Auburn sys- ,em." It was next taken up by the Boston Prison association, and later by nearly all he prisons in this country. This system was to have the prisoners congregate during he daytime, and occupy separate cells during he night and while not at work. It appears, however, that nearly 200 years ago the prisons for youthful criminals in Rome were arranged 'n this same plan. The silent or congregate ystem is the one now generally used in our prisons of to-day, but it is somewhat relaxed rom what 1t was when it first started. In his system the prisoners are not allowed, lnder fear of punishment, to look up from heir work, are obliged to pass from the work hop to meals in the lock step and prison dress. The relaxation from this has 'een in the prison dress principally although ome of the prisons still hold to this dress prisoner now receives five days in every month for good conduct, ,or sixty days year, nd so he may have ten years sentence erved out in eight years by good conduct )ne of the great mistakes in this system eems to me to be that the judges of our ourts never take into consideration when hey sentence person that by good behavior he prisoner may make his sentence much horter than the judge intended it to be. An ther objection is that there is no individual reatment, but what is done for one is done or all, except that if a man disobey le is punished. Then, again, the prisoners re not classified and the novice works idle by side with the hardened criminal and pen to his bad influence. Too much atten- ion is also paid to the pecuniary part of the natter. and the warden who makes the pris- n the most profitable for the State is usually onsidered the best person for the position. | The prisoner, when he is sentenced, becomes he property of the State and it is the States | usiness to provide him with wholesome pod, a clean, well ventilated cell, regular l ours of work, reading matter and time to ! cad, religious training, and to compel him 0 be clean; and on these things the founda- ion work for the reformation of prisoners l epends, for if they are not properly taken | are of they will have no desire to reform | he communication of time is, however, only | ood to maintain prison discipline, as the | Id criminal or ''old rat'' who knows the | alue of freedom will be good, while only | he hot-headed novice will be bad and dis | bey the rules. Now the most important | hing is the reduction of crime, nd to bring this about the reformation of | ne criminal must take place. because the | riminal who goes out reformed will reform I thers, while the criminal who goes out not Il sformed will take delight in leading others | ito crime. So hold that a criminal should I 0 retained in prison until he is reformed, no | latter how long that may be, even if he re- lains there for life. Professor Wayland will give a concluding l eture on this subject in January.
 For the Sailors Christmas.
 Contributions of money toward the sailors hristmas entertainment at the Seamen's ethel may be left either with the treasurer, rs. Cowles, at i, III Chapel street, or with le superintendent at the Bethel.
 TO-DAY's TOWN MEETING.
 important Questions 10 Come Up For
 Action.
 A large attendance is expected at the ad- turned town meeting to be held this after oon in Loomis' Temple of Music as two i'm ortant questions come up for consideration, E.. The subject of establishing a reform ory workhouse and the subject of voting a Im of money for the appropriate celebra- on by New Haven of it's 250th anniversary sxt year. The towns committee appointed
 investigate the reformatory workhouse 1 bject have after full, thorough work re- ,rted in favor of the project. The question
 appropriating $25,00O for building the opposed workhouse will be discussed at this ternoon's meeting. The committee who Id the workhouse question to consider be- we that the dispensing of relief for the ,or by the town should be dispensed with, ! Id hold that the charitable organizations of | < @ city can and will attend to all deserving Id proper cases of charity if the case is put ]
 their hands and thereby saving to @ town of $24, 900 year will be made, that ing the amount expended by the town in $ ,or relief last year. They hold that the 1 arity work will also be better done than if z